The creative brief, the simple version

The nineteen sections from Monday's class, in the same order. What counts is that every section has an answer, not how many pages it fills. Mark every guess with a question mark. For a finished brief to compare against, see the Resume Place brief.

Working copy to download and fill in: CREATIVE-BRIEF-simple.docx. The longer version, with where each section comes from: the full template.

Where each answer comes from: You have it means from a hand-in or your pitch. Monday means from the in-class exercises. Wednesday means we write it in class. Before Wednesday means you draft it on your own.

The brief in one line

GET WHO TO BY

Write it last. The BY is your concept from exercise 2.

Page one: the situation

1Overview

You have it: your pitch. The product in one line, who makes it, who decides, and the timeline.

2Problem

You have it: your problem statement. Copy it in, word for word.

3Goals

You have it: your pitch. Three things the work has to achieve, in order.

4Audience

You have it: your audience hand-in. Who the work leans to, with examples of real people, and what they use today instead.

5Insight

Monday, exercise 1. One sentence about the person, not the product. Under it: the fact, your guess, and the evidence or the question that would find it.

6Competition

You have it: your research. The competitors, grouped by kind, and the character each one plays.

Page two: the answer

7Message

You have it: your pitch, sharpened. What we are trying to say, in one sentence.

8Position

Wednesday. For , is the that , because .

9Character

Monday, exercise 3. The character from the twelve, and the path you chose. It should not match your closest competitor's.

10Tone

Monday, your "nevers." Three things the brand would never do, and a few words for how it sounds.

11Channels

Wednesday. Where you will reach them, and how the message reads there.

12Action and measure

You have it: your pitch. The one thing they should do, and the number that tells you it worked.

13Principles and mandatories

Monday, exercise 2. Two principles: "We learned . The implication is that the design should ." Your concept. Then what must appear and what is off limits.

14Open questions

Every question mark above, with who or what would answer it, and by when.

Page three: what gets built

15Requirements

You have it: your pitch's features. "A can so that ." One per line, marked must, should, or later.

16Site map and main steps

Before Wednesday. The pages or screens, then the steps from the home page to the one thing you want them to do.

17Content

Before Wednesday. What each page needs, who writes it, and who keeps it current.

18Technology

Before Wednesday. What it is built on, what that costs, and why.

19Out of scope

Before Wednesday. What this version will not do.